New Action-Packed Book Launches Readers Back into the 1850s, Confronts Ugly Realities in History

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - June 30, 2013 - PRLog -- SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA--Hailing from Chicago’s south side, Dwayne Jackson, is young, black man with big muscles and tattoos to match. As the book’s protagonist, he’s a good guy yet ‘misunderstood’ by many.  Destined for a bright career in basketball as the NBA’s next Michael Jordan, Dwayne’s life takes a dramatic turn for the worst when his best friend is killed, his brother joins a gang and he’s linked to a murder he did not commit. As part of his punishment, Dwayne is sent to Camp Wounded Knee for the summer—an experience that will forever change his life.  

There he encounters two other big personalities.  Spotted Bear, a camp counselor, is a young Native American filled with resentment over the injustices his ancestors have endured over the centuries. Then there’s Jackie Hollister—a sassy, country girl with fiery-red hair to match her personality.

In an effort to restore his people’s land and way of life, Spotted Bear takes part in an ancient Native American ceremony simply known as the Ghost Dance.  Little do the campers know this religious dance will transplant them all back to the 19^th century when bison roamed this nation freely, Native Americans ruled the plains and the slave trade was alive and well.

Spotted Bear has one goal: warn the ancient tribes of their future and destroy their oppressors before it’s too late.  He desperately seeks to rewrite history, but will he succeed?  While Spotted Bear has his own mission, can Jackie and Dwayne stop the country from a deadly civil war?  Or will they all fail miserably?

For author, Erik Monnier, part of the inspiration for his novel stemmed from a trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the mass grave site at Wounded Knee.  “Of course, this was a somber experience. Chilling really,” described Monnier.  “To close your eyes on that hill, even for a moment, can load your senses with the bitter taste of what really took place there.  I considered the pain of the people, the loss, and the end of a way-of-life and times. I struggled after that trip. I even considered that, perhaps, this book should not be written. Eventually, I pressed on.”

Composed of 46 page-turning chapters, Camp Redemption: Ghost Dance at Wounded Knee will take readers on a suspenseful journey into the American past long before the invention of the Internet, cell phones, and paved highways.   With each turning page, readers will be forced to uncover their own feelings toward some very difficult topics including: the treatment of Native Americans, slavery, emancipation, crime and punishment, etc.  The book can be purchased through the author’s website: www.campredemption.com.

About the Author:  Erik Monnier lives in a small town called Rocklin located not too far from Sacramento, California.  He is the proud father to three boys and a daughter—the oldest a recent graduate of Sacramento State University.  A die-hard fan of the Sacramento Kings—Camp Redemption: Ghost Dance at Wounded Knee is the author’s first novel, initially written for his then 10-year-old son who is now a high school senior—so it goes without saying the book wasn’t written overnight!  Perfection takes time, of course. With an associate’s degree in HVAC and refrigeration from Universal Technical Institute of Arizona, Monnier has worked in the Sacramento area for more than two decades as a mechanical contractor.  In his spare time, he enjoys running, hiking and taking in Mother Nature, particularly the remote backcountry, mountains and foothills of northern California.